Looking for a baby name that will strike fear in the hearts of enemies? Or maybe a name that is inspired from the adventure of taking to the sea? Then might we suggest a baby name inspired by a Viking? We know, we know. It's a wee bit nontraditional, but hear us out on this one. Most Viking names have roots in Norse mythology and that's pretty darn epic. According to The National Museum of Denmark, many boys' Viking names were to honor the gods like Thor, while others were named in honor of fierce animals like wolves or bears. Viking girls' names had special power attributed to them like "peace" or "beauty." It might seem like all of these names historical, the truth is that Viking names are the basis for many names that are popular today or are still being used today by people all over the world.
It might be because The Avengers movies have dominated the last couple of years (hellooo! Thor) or perhaps it's because of the popular animated series How to Train Your Dragon, or even Game of Thones, but Viking names seem to be in the ether. Most people are familiar with the most popular names like Thor or Hilda, but there are many other names that might be less familiar. According to Baby Name Wizard, most Norse names have a Germanic or Nordic root, which gives them a strong sensibility. And one would most likely find Viking names still in use throughout Scandinavia. So which names have potential to hit it big? We've found 20 of the top boys and girls name that have Viking roots to answer that question. And they might just be inspiration for a parent with striking spirit.
ARNE
According to The National Museum of Denmark, Arne is one of most common Viking baby names that was taken from animals and it means "eagle." Within the past 20 years, Arne has actually been quite popular in Belgium, while here in the US Arne hit its stride in the 1920s when it was one of the top 1,000 most popular names in America.
FRIDA
Frida is another baby name on The National Museum of Denmark's list. The name means peace and in the past has been a top baby name in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Historically, there have been a slew of famous Fridas, including Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and model/actress Frida Pinto.
RUNE
Rune was the first writing system used by the Nordic people and the word means
both "letter" and "mystery." A rune has both a mystical significance and a literal meaning. Parents of either boys or girls might like this name because of its literary history. Not to mention, it's very, very cute.
HILDA
A name that could cast a spell, the first thing that comes to mind with the name Hilda is one of Sabrina's aunt from Sabrina The Teenage Witch. But magic spell book and cauldrons aside, Hilda is the Latinized short form of any name composed of the element hildr, which means "battle." The name was brought to England after Scandinavia before the Norman Conquest.
GORM
For the parent who is willing to take a risk, Gorm is a name that guaranteed no one else on the playground will have. It means "he who worships god," according to The National Museum of Denmark and while it isn't a common name we think it has a modern and Scandinavian vibe that some parents might find adventurous.
SIGRID
Sigrid is a name that we could see for many little girls who will be born in the 2020s. It's bound to be a hit. Meaning, "victorious horsewoman" according to The National Museum of Denmark the name is pretty epic. It hasn't been in the US top 1,000 baby names list since the late 1800s but we think it's the perfect gem waiting to be discovered.
ULF
A ferocious name that has a lot of bark but not too much bite, Ulf is a short name that has a lot of power. It's one of the Viking names that comes from animals — in this case it's the Old Norse word for "wolf," The National Museum of Denmark notes. It's a common Scandinavian male name and we think it sounds sporty.
VALKA
The name Valka is fit for a Viking queen and we love it. And it has yet to become popular in the US, which means it's truly undiscovered territory. The name is derived from the same root as Valkyrie and Valka was a character in the hit children's movie How to Train Your Dragon 2.
SOREN
Soren has recently become a name that has been embraced in the US. In fact, since 2010 Soren has been steadily climbing the baby name charts and in 2017 was the 577th most popular name in the country. We'd like to think this is because Soren is an accessible name that seems both trendy but isn't too familiar.
LIV
A name that is familiar but still has that Nordic flair, Liv works as both a name on its own and a nickname for Olivia. It was derived from a few etymologies, which relate to “life” and “protection,” which gives this name a sense of adventure and strength. Liv has become a popular name ever since the rise of actress Liv Tyler.
TROELS
A mythological name that is perfect for the parents who are obsessed with Norse Mythology. Troels means "Thor's arrow" according to The National Museum of Denmark, although thanks to the Marvel movies, we're sure more people are familiar with Thor's hammer. Either way, Troels is a strong name for a strong little guy.
TORA
Some Viking names are derived from the gods and Tora is one of them. The name meant to evoke Thor and means "of the god Thor," according to The National Museum of Denmark Tora is a good name for parents who want to straddle the line between the familiar and names that no one else is bound to have.
ODIN
Parents who like the names Owen and Aiden will probably be attracted to Odin which has a similar sound and vibe. Currently, the name is popular in Scandinavian countries as well as Germany, but has slowly been creeping its way to popularity with Americans too, coming in the top 500 baby names in 2017. Odin is also the root of the word "Wednesday."
SIGNE
Some people might confuse this name for the more commonly heard Sidney, but Signe has the potential to become big all on its own. In fact, quietly Signe has been bouncing around the top baby name lists, but hit its peak in the 1890s. The name has a few connections to Norse mythology and means "new victory."
LEIF
Derived from the Old Norse name Lefir, which means "what is remaining" or "relic" but over time the name was often confused with the Germanic lieb or lip, which means "love," so some people thinks it means "beloved." Leif was first used by Norwegian explorer Leif Ericsson who discovered North America.
INGA
Many might think of Hollywood starlet Ingrid Bergman, but for the Viking the name more likely came from the Norse god Ing. In the 1960's Ingrid started to become popular in the United States, but it was never one of the top baby names. Today, the name might win favor with parents who want some of the old-school glamour.
BJØRN
A name that just sounds powerful and strong, we love Bjørn. Indie music fans might be inspired to remember the band Peter Bjorn and John or sports fans might remember tennis player Bjorn Borg. According to The National Museum of Denmark Bjørn is an animal inspired name with means "bear."
THYRA
A name for a little one who likes to play rough and tumble outside. Much like Valka or Tora, Thyra follows the naming convention of ending a name with an -a and like other Viking female names, Thrya is based on a quality rather than an animal or a Norse god. In this case it means "peace," The National Museum of Denmark.
HARALD
We all like something that's a wee bit familiar. Harald sounds similar to the more common name Harold. Plus, parents could still use the nickname Harry! The National Museum of Denmark defines the name as being "lord and ruler" and former One Direction fans might like the name because of Harry Styles.
RANDI
This name should sound familiar! Randi is a name that is commonly used today, but that doesn't mean it should be avoided for being too popular. The feminine form of Randolph, which means "wolf shield," Randi was often the shortened form of Miranda before it became a name all on its own.
